Brad Davis joins Wasps as Shane Howarth leaves for Worcester

Former Bath first-team coach Brad Davis will join Wasps this summer but backs coach Shane Howarth has left for Premiership rivals Worcester Warriors.

Davis, 45, left Bath in February after six years and will take up an assistant coaching role alongside Stephen Jones.

"It is a squad full of potential and they have played some great attacking rugby this season," Davis said.

Director of rugby Dai Young will lead the forwards, while Howarth cited family reasons for leaving Adams Park.

Former rugby league player Davis will take charge of the club's defence whilst ex-Wales fly-half Jones, who announced his retirement in February, will be responsible for coaching the attack.

"I'm really looking forward to working with the players to strengthen their defence so that we can compete and win games consistently at the highest level," he said.

During his time at Bath, Davis helped the side to win the European Challenge Cup in 2008 as well as reaching the Premiership semi-finals in three successive seasons.

Former New Zealand and Wales international Howarth only joined the club last summer but has decided to move away from London to become Dean Ryan's backs coach at Sixways.

"We are sorry to lose Shane who has done a good job for us this season and we've reluctantly released him from his contract after his requests," Young told the club website.

"Stephen has already had a big influence in our attack this season and I am very confident in his ability to step up and carry on where Shane has left off.

"Brad Davis will also be a very good addition for us. He's an excellent coach and is highly rated by the players who have worked with him and I think he brings a nice balance to the coaching team giving us a much stronger focus on our defence."